Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@mrsmcguinness
Topics: Celebrity
Ali Condon
Christine McGuinness has announced that she and her husband Paddy have officially separated after 15 years together.
Following a family holiday with their children – twins Leo and Penelope, eight, and Felicity, six, – Christine, 34, announced the news to fans.
Taking to her Instagram Story, the TV personality began: "We hadn't planned on sharing this publicly until we were ready but after the lack of privacy surrounding our personal life, we feel with no other option but to clarify.
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"A while ago we took the difficult decision to separate but our main focus as always is to continue loving and supporting out children. This was not an easy decision to make but we're moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children. We'll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together.
"We hope this now draws a line under anymore unwanted and unnecessary intrusion into our private life. Although we work in the public eye we ask kindly if you could respect our wishes for privacy on this matter. We'll be making no further comment."
Earlier this month, Christine revealed that she and Paddy had been going through some issues in their marriage, which they were attempting to deal with 'as privately as possible'.
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Appearing on Lorraine to discuss the updated edition of her memoir Beautiful Nightmare, the mum-of-three was asked about the recent headlines about her rough patch with Paddy.
She explained: "I think marriages go through ups and down anyway. All marriages, especially long ones like ours.
"It's not always plane sailing. We’re trying to deal with things as privately as possible. I want to give the kids an amazing summer. They'll always be our focus."
Christine had been responding to rumours of a rift between her and Paddy that had begun circulating just weeks earlier.
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Speaking to Fabulous at the time, she had said rather vaguely: "What I might have put up with in the past, I probably wouldn’t put up with now, and the same for him.
"I can’t deny we are having a very, very difficult time."
While she didn't want "to go into it too much," she added: "I will just say that I didn't cause this situation."
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Christine and Paddy were together for 15 years and married for 11 of those. They share three children together, who they starred alongside in their emotional documentary Autism and Our Family, which highlighted the highs and lows of their parenting journey.